U.S. patent number 8,078,225 [Application Number 11/772,786] was granted by the patent office on 2011-12-13 for communication device, mobile device and method of communication.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Infineon Technologies AG. Invention is credited to Walter Kargl, Dietmar Scheiblhofer.
United States Patent |
8,078,225 |
Kargl , et al. |
December 13, 2011 |
Communication device, mobile device and method of communication
Abstract
A communication device having a chip card configured to
authorize a communication, the chip card having an interface
connected to a communication controller via a modified standardized
bus communication, a first and at least one second data source
configured to connect to the communication controller.
Inventors: |
Kargl; Walter (Graz,
AT), Scheiblhofer; Dietmar (Kaindorf, AT) |
Assignee: |
Infineon Technologies AG
(Neubiberg, DE)
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Family
ID: |
40221811 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/772,786 |
Filed: |
July 2, 2007 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20090011648 A1 |
Jan 8, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
455/558;
455/556.2; 455/550.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06K
7/0008 (20130101); G06K 19/0719 (20130101); G06K
19/0723 (20130101); G06K 19/07733 (20130101); G06K
19/07 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04B
1/38 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;455/550.1,556.1,556.2,557,558 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1 220 496 |
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Jul 2002 |
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EP |
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1 679 913 |
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Jul 2006 |
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EP |
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2 368 702 |
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May 2002 |
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GB |
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WO-2007/076456 |
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Jul 2007 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Le; Nhan
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dickstein Shapiro LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A communication device comprising: a SIM card configured to
authorize a communication, wherein the SIM card comprises an
interface connected to a communication controller via a modified
standardized bus communication; a first data source configured to
generate a first data channel and connected to the communication
controller via a standardized bus communication; and at least one
second data source configured to generate at least one second data
channel and connected to the communication controller, wherein the
communication controller is configured to control the standardized
bus communication and the at least one second data channel, wherein
the at least one second data channel is switched to the modified
standardized bus communication and the at least second data channel
is transparent for the first data channel.
2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first
data source is a base band communication device.
3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the at
least one second data source is a near field communication
device.
4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the
standardized bus communication and the modified standardized bus
communication is standardized by ISO 7816 norm.
5. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein the SIM
card is an ISO 7816 standardized SIM card.
6. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein the
communication controller comprises the near field communication
device.
7. The communication device according to claim 6 further comprising
an energy device, wherein the communication controller and the
first data source are supplied with energy via the energy
device.
8. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein the
communication controller comprises input pins configured to connect
a near field communication input antenna.
9. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the
communication controller switches the at least second data channel
in a time and/or frequency division multiple access mode to the
standardized bus communication.
10. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the
communication controller switches the at least second data channel
in a code division multiple access mode to the standardized bus
communication.
11. A communication device comprising: a SIM card means for
authorizing a communication, wherein the SIM card means comprises
an interface connected to a communication controller via a modified
standardized bus communication; a first data source means for
generating a first data channel and connected to the communication
controller via a standardized bus communication; and at least one
second data source means for generating at least one second data
channel and connected to the communication controller, wherein the
communication controller is configured to control the standardized
bus communication and the at least one second data channel, wherein
the at least one second data channel is switched to the modified
standardized bus communication and the at least second data channel
is transparent for the first data channel.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a communication device. In
particular the present invention relates to a mobile device, for
example a radio, telephone or a computer having expanded
communication possibilities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In mobile telephone networks, as for example in the GSM network
(global system for mobile communication) or in an UMTS (universal
mobile telecommunication system) the identity of the subscriber is
stored in a chip card which is often called a SIM card (subscriber
identity module). This SIM card is inserted in the mobile apparatus
removable, so that the user can receive calls intended for him on
the mobile apparatus of his choice by transferring the SIM card
from one mobile phone to another.
Today the SIM card exists in two standardized formats. The full
sized format corresponds to the size of a credit card while the
plug-in format, which is specially adapted to the miniaturized
portable telephones is about 25 mm to 10 mm in size. The
functionalities of these cards having these two formats are
identical.
The SIM cards generally contain data processing means, usually a
microcontroller integrated in a chip. On the one hand these
processing means contain a zone having a read/write area and a
secured memory area which allows the storing of programs and/or
files, especially the identification data of the subscriber who
possesses the card. On the other hand calculating and processing
means are capable of executing various algorithms, particularly
algorithms which permit the carrying out of the subscriber
identification and of the communication encryption. To communicate
to a mobile device a SIM card follows the ISO 7816 smart card
standards. In ISO 7816-1 the physical characteristics of a smart
card is described. In ISO 7816-2 the location and dimensions of the
contact fields are described.
In recent years contactless IC-cards being able to communicate with
an IC card reader/writer without physical contact have been put to
practical use. The communication of the contactless IC card
utilizes electromagnetic waves of the IC card reader/writer, so
that when the contactless IC card is away from the IC card
reader/writer by a predetermined distance, power is not supplied to
the contactless IC card to thereby initialize the mode of the IC
card. This allows the IC card to execute communication with another
IC card reader/writer.
A near-field radio communication (NFC) technology in which
communication is expanded up to interdevice communication using a
communication protocol between the contactless IC card and the IC
card reader/writer is being brought to attention. That is, in the
NFC technology an NFC function is incorporated into mobile phones,
digital cameras, PDAs (personal digital assistants), personal
computers (PCs), game machines and computer peripheral apparatuses
to allow communication of any type of data, as far as the
NFC-equipped apparatuses are in a near distance range of, for
example, 20 cm or less. In addition incorporating SAM (secure
application module) cards into such NFC-equipped apparatuses allow
them to serve as contactless IC cards. Those SAM cards for instance
unity the function of an SIM card and additional functions for a
proprietary NFC communication.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one embodiment of the invention a communication device
is provided comprising a chip card configured to authorize a
communication, the chip card comprising an interface connected to a
communication controller via a modified standardized bus
communication, a first data source configured to generate a main
data channel and connected to the communication controller via the
standardized bus communication, at least a second data source
configured to generate at least a second data channel and connected
to the communication controller, the communication controller
configured to controlling the standardized bus communication and
the at least second data channel, wherein the at least second data
channel is switched to the modified standardized bus communication
and the at least second data channel is transparent for the first
data channel.
Furthermore a mobile device comprising a power device configured to
supply the mobile device with energy; a first data source
configured to generate a first data signal from a first
electromagnetic field; an at least second data source configured to
generate an at least second data signal from a second
electromagnetic field; a chip card configured to authorize a
communication to the first and to the second data source via an
interface; and a communication controller connected between the
interface and the at least two data sources configured to
standardized transmit and receive data to and from the first and/or
the at least second data source and standardized transmit and
receive those data to and from the interface is introduced.
Also a communication controller configured to communicate ISO 7816
norm standardized, wherein the communication controller is plugged
in parallel to a standardized bus communication is introduced
herein.
Additionally, a method to communicate is introduced, comprising
generating a first data stream via a first data source; generating
at least one second data stream via a second data source;
connecting, by a communication controller, the two data sources
transparently to each other to a chip card interface; and
authorizing, by the chip card, a communication of the first and
second data source.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is explained below using exemplary embodiments with
reference to the drawings, where components which are the same or
have the same action are respectively shown with the same reference
symbols in the figures. The elements shown are not being considered
as true to scale but rather individual elements can be shown
exaggeratedly large or exaggeratedly simplified in order to improve
understanding.
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 2 shows a more detailed drawing of the embodiment of FIG.
1,
FIG. 3 shows another detailed and less simplified drawing of the
embodiment of FIG. 1, and
FIG. 4 shows another detailed drawing of the embodiment of FIG.
3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a communication device 1 comprising a chip card 2. The
chip card is provided with an interface 3 which is connected via a
modified standardized bus communication 4' to a communication
controller 5. The communication controller 5 therewith is provided
with a standardized bus communication 4 to a first data source 6
and a second communication channel 8 to a second data source 7.
The communication device 1 comprises two data sources 6 and 7,
wherein each data source 6 and 7 generates a separate bidirectional
data channel 4 and 8. The first data source 6 generates a first
data channel 4, which is a standardized bus communication signal
4.
The expression data channel herein is meant as a plurality of data
signals, which are depend on each other and function as a unit, for
instance as a bus communication.
A bus communication signal means a subsystem that transfers data
and/or power between different components. A bus can logically
connect several peripherals over the same set of wires. Buses can
be parallel buses, which carry data words striped across multiple
wires, or serial buses, which carry data in bit-serial form. The
addition of extra power and control connections, differential
drivers, and data connections in each direction usually means that
most serial buses have more conductors than two. A master--slave
bus communication functions in that way, that an active component,
called the master component, mainly controls the bus communication
and recognizes buffer overruns, collisions on the bus and so on.
The passive parts in a bus communication are called slaves and
mainly react instead of act. In case of a mobile device, a SIM card
is normally a slave component, wherein the first data source 6,
which may represent a base band device, acts as a master. The
standardization of a bus communication is explained herein
later.
Via the communication controller 5 the first data channel is also
applied to the chip card 2 via the interface 3. Advantageously the
chip card is an ISO 7816 norm standardized SIM card, which manly
acts as authorization module in the communication device 1. A SIM
card according to ISO 7816 part 3 uses a standardized communication
protocol for bus communication. In this embodiment the chip card 2
is connected to and communicates with the communication controller
5 also via the standardized communication protocol. The interface 3
of the SIM card comprises input and output pins for following
signals: positive voltage, reset, clock, ground and a minimum of
one I/O signal. As mentioned above, a chip card 2 in the sense of
the invention is a slave component in the given bus topology.
Another data source 7 is also implemented in the communication
device 1. The second data source 7 is also connected to the
communication controller 5 and applies a second data channel 8 to
it. In comparison to the bus communication 4 the data channel 8
does not have to be standardized, but advantageously is. The
communication controller 5 switches both data channels to the
modified standardized bus communication 4' to the chip card 2.
The switching of both channels together is managed by the
communication controller 5. Its main task is the transparently
switching, which means, that the first data channel 4 does not
recognize the existence of a second data channel 8. This is mainly
reached by means of multiplexing methods in the communication
controller 5. The communication controller has "switch"
functionality, which means, different frequencies of different data
protocols and different transmitting speeds are linked together via
this communication controller 5. A necessary buffering of the
different data channels is also managed by the communication
controller 5.
For instance a simple time division multiple access (TDMA) mode is
used. It allows several components to share the same frequency
channel by dividing the data channel into different timeslots. The
components transmit in rapid succession, one after the other, each
using its own timeslot. This in general allows multiple stations to
share the same transmission medium while using only the part of its
bandwidth they require.
Another possibility is a frequency division multiple access (FDMA)
mode. In an FDMA scheme, the given radio frequency bandwidth is
divided into adjacent frequency segments. Each segment is provided
with bandwidth to enable an associated communications signal to
pass through a transmission environment with an acceptable level of
interference from communications signals in adjacent frequency
segments.
A further possibility is the switching of the channels in code
division multiple access (CDMA) mode. That divides up a radio
channel not by time (as in TDMA), nor by frequency (as in FDMA),
but instead by using different pseudo-random code sequences for
each user. CDMA is a form of "spread-spectrum" signaling, since the
modulated coded signal has a much higher bandwidth than the data
being communicated.
However these three switching methods described before are just
mentioned as examples and not explained in greater details
herewith. Other practical and/or fitting methods for transparently
switching may also be used.
In case a bus communication 4, respectively 4' between the first
data source 6 and the chip card 2 is established, neither the chip
card 2 nor the first data source 6 have to stop the communication 4
to each other, when the second data source 7 is switched to the bus
communication 4.
The bus communication 4' between chip card 2 and communication
controller 5 is called modified, because their original data
channel may be delayed or transmitted in fragments in case the
second data channel is switched to the bus communication. The
original bus communication 4 is then modified 4'.
Furthermore the modified bus communication 4' is still
standardized, like the bus communication 4. A typical standard in
mobile device while communication and authorization to a chip card
2 is necessary or needed, the ISO 7816 norm is applied. A typical
ISO 7816 standard bus communication contains five typical signals
explained above.
One main advantage of this embodiment of the invention is the usage
of the existing interface 3 in the chip card 2. In case a SIM card
is used, the interface has not to be broadened and/or another
interface has to be applied to it, to communicate to more than one
data source. Therefore, a standardized SIM card (ISO 7816) can be
used without any modifications. The application software running on
the chip card 2 can be modified in that way to distinguish between
the different data source 6, 7 and authorize or generally
communicate to each data source 6, 7 independently over one
interface 3.
It may be mentioned, that the invention is not limited to data
sources in a mobile device. A plurality of data sources may be
managed by communication controller 5.
In FIG. 2 a more detailed drawing of the embodiment of FIG. 1 is
shown. FIG. 2 is different in that a coil can be plugged to the
communication controller instead of the second data source.
Therewith the communication controller comprises means of input
pins 9 for e.g. a NFC-coil.
In order to unify a normal mobile device with a NFC communication
function, the second data source 7 of FIG. 1 is now represented by
means of a NFC coil. This coil may be integrated in the
communication device cover. This coil is able to receive
electromagnetic waves of a card reader/writer (not shown), when the
mobile device 1 is in predetermined distance to this card
reader/writer device.
The communication controller 5, which herewith is plugged in
parallel to the existing data channel 4 of the first data source 6
now furthermore contains means for converting these electromagnetic
waves to the at least second data channel 8. This second data
channel 8 is also switched via TDMA, FDMA or CDMA to the existing
data channel of data source 6 transparently. An explanation can be
found in the description of FIG. 1. The NFC components are passive
components and therewith comparable with the chip card 2 and act as
slave in the bus communication. In order an authorization from the
chip card 2, which may be a standard SIM card (ISO 7816-3), via NFC
is necessary a communication 4' gets established transparently to
the existing data channel 4, via communication controller 5. This
may allow a user of such a mobile device to phone via satellite
and/or terrestrial radio communication, represented by the first
data source 1, and synchronously crossing a NFC portal with a
further authorization of the SIM card. The main advantage is the
use of a SIM card 2 with a standardized ISO 7816 interface 3 and no
additional interface, for instance an interface working with any
single wire protocol (SWP).
FIG. 3 illustrates a less simplified drawing of the embodiment of
FIG. 1. In comparison to FIG. 1, the standardized bus communication
4 and 4' are herein illustrated in greater detail with the clock
signal, the reset signal, at least one I/O signal and the positive
DC voltage which is generated by a DC source 11. These signal lines
are drawn as dotted lines, while crossing the communication
controller 5 for representing the plug-in feature of the
communication controller 5 to an existing data channel between the
first data source 6 and the chip card 2 with the interface 3. The
DC source 11 also supplies the data source 6 which now also
comprises input pins 13 for a coil 12. The coil 12 is also not
explicit part of the invention and may be integrated into mobile
device coverage as well.
The communication controller 5 in turn switches the second data
source, represented now by input coil 10 receiving electromagnetic
waves from a card reader/writer (not shown) when in predetermined
distance, via input pins 9 of the communication controller 5
transparently to the existing data channel 4 to a modified
standardized bus communication 4'. Primary, the communication
controllers' task 5 is the switching of two data channels to one
standardized bus communication 4' and secondly the task of
converting received NFC electromagnetic waves into a second data
channel 8.
In this detailed drawing of the embodiment the data source 6 is
represented by a base band device 6. This base band device 6 is a
master unit in the bus communication 4 and controls it. While
receiving electromagnetic waves with coil 13 and input pins 12, the
base band device 6 converts the electromagnetic waves to a first
data channel 4. To authorize a communication via base band device 6
it is necessary to establish a communication from the base band
device 6 to the chip card 2, which again might preferably be a SIM
card in this embodiment. The task of the SIM card is an
authorization to the base band device 6 which allows a user to use
the mobile device 1 for telephone and/or satellite/terrestrial
network functions.
In case the mobile device 1 now receives a NFC signal which is
represented by the second coil 10 and the input pins 9, this signal
is converted into a second data channel inside the communication
controller 5. Afterwards this second data channel is switched to
the existing first data channel 4 via communication controller 5.
Thereby the at least second data channel from the NFC device is
transparently switched to the standardized bus communication 4,
which means that a base band device 6 will never recognize that an
NFC device is in receiving range. The main advantage now is that
the standardized bus communication 4 between the communication
controller 5 and the chip card 2 is standardized on ISO 7816 norm.
It is therefore not necessary to use a second interface to
communicate to the chip card 2 and use another second protocol e.g.
SWP, too.
The advantage of the above described embodiments of the invention
thereby is that the chip card 2 is a normal SIM card which is
nowadays used in standard mobile phones. The communication
controller 5 furthermore is a hardware plug-in, which may be
plugged in parallel to the existing standardized bus communication
4. The modified standardized communication 4' is mainly reached
while TDMA, FDMA or CDMA modes are run inside the communication
controller 5. This means the communication controller 5 is
multiplexing both data channels 4 and to the chip card 2. Buffering
is also managed by the communication controller 5. No extra
interface is necessary therewith.
The chip card 2 recognizes via software routines, which data
channel needs to be authorized and reacts respectively. This
recognition is a complete software handling without changing any
hardware inside the chip card 2. In case a NFC authorization is
needed, the base band communication between base band device 6 and
chip card 2 may be buffered.
In FIG. 4 another detailed drawing of the embodiment of FIG. 1 is
shown. The DC source 11 is herein changed by a battery 14 which
generates a battery output signal 15 for supplying a power IC 11.
This power IC 11 mainly supplies the communication controller 5,
the base band device 6 and the chip card 2. The other components
are also found and described in FIG. 3. A detailed description
herein is therefore not necessary.
To clarify the statement "data channel", it mainly means a
plurality of data signals, which are summarized in a bus
communication and are a bidirectional link between a data source
and its peripherals. In case of a standardized ISO 7816 norm it
comprises a positive voltage signal, a ground signal, a clock
signal, a reset signal and an input output (I/O) signal. The I/O
signal is mainly a serial data connection to authorize a
communication firstly to the base band device and also to NFC. The
expression data channel is equal in the sense of the expressions
data stream, communication channel and bus communication
herewith.
The aim of the above described embodiments of the invention is a
more comfortable use of a mobile phone; the therein standardized
SIM card can be used to authorize a communication to a base band
signal and also to a NFC signal.
The embodiment herein is described with two data channels, but the
communication controller is not limited to just two data channels
and may manage a plurality of data channels.
The received electromagnetic waves received by the different input
pins 9 and 12 may be mainly different in carrier frequency, kind of
modulation, signal strength and data content. They may include
voice signals and/or data signals.
The expression mobile device herein is meant to be a long-range,
portable electronic device used for mobile communication. In
addition to the standard voice function of a telephone, current
mobile devices can support many additional services such as SMS for
text messaging, email, packet switching for access to the Internet,
and MMS for sending and receiving photos and video. Most current
mobile phones connect to a cellular network of base stations (cell
sites), which is in turn interconnected to the public switched
telephone network (PSTN) (the exception are satellite phones).
To connect to a base station a base band device is included in the
mobile device which comprises means of IC devices, which converts
an incoming electromagnetic wave into voice or data.
* * * * *